Measuring Your Home: What We Need from Your Survey

At Plan My Extension, we keep things simple — and that includes the survey. If you’re going the DIY route (or working with one of our builder partners), measuring your home doesn’t need to be complicated or technical. You just need a tape measure, some basic instructions, and a clear layout of your space.

Here’s how to measure your home for your extension drawings, step by step.

• A tape measure (5–8m is ideal)
• A pencil and notepad or printed floor plan
• A camera or phone (photos help!)
• Someone to help, if possible

Optional but helpful:

• Laser measure
• Graph paper

Sketch out the rooms involved in your extension project — a rough floor plan is fine. Label each space (e.g. kitchen, lounge, utility) and mark where key features are: windows, doors, stairs, etc.

Don’t worry if it’s not to scale — we’ll handle that later.

Measure the internal walls of each room, from one end to the other. Record the length in millimetres or centimetres (be consistent). Note the distance between windows, walls, and doors too.

If you’re measuring externally, go around the outside of your property and record each section — this helps confirm wall thickness and overall footprint.

Measure the width and height of all doors and windows, and note their position on your sketch. For windows, measure from the floor to the bottom of the sill and the top of the frame — this gives us the vertical alignment.

Also include the ceiling height of each room. If it varies (e.g. due to a sloped roof), let us know.

If there are any radiators, chimney breasts, boilers, or awkward shapes, add them to your drawing. You don’t need to measure every single one, but knowing where they are helps us draw a layout that actually works.

Take clear photos of each wall, doorway, and window. Include wide shots of each room and any outdoor areas being extended. Photos help us fill in any gaps and ensure your design is accurate.

Once you’ve completed your measurements and photos, just upload them using our secure link or send via email. We’ll take it from there.

This doesn’t need to be perfect — just accurate enough to give us the key information. If anything’s unclear, we’ll get in touch and guide you through it.

With a few basic tools and our step-by-step guide, you can complete your own home survey quickly and confidently. It’s one of the easiest ways to save time and money while keeping your project moving.